Helping Hands addresses suicide this month. We feature the 988 hotline that was funded and put in place last July. Since then, calls have increased over 800%! The line is a good resource and can help each of us when we aren’t sure about what to do. Of course, always consult your upline EAP Peer – every time you have a potential suicide. I always call a fellow EAP whenever there is a potential suicide – to insure that I am covering all of the bases. Your regional reps, along with Tony Rodriguez, Chris Davis and now Christine Mahoe on Hawaiian and I are always available to talk. Please welcome Chris as a part of our leadership team! 

 

       There are some signs and symptoms covered this month – those are the entry point for talking with someone your are concerned about. Again – consult consult consult!  

 

       Thank you for being there for your co-workers! You are all doing critical work! 

 

      April is acohol awareness month. The National Institute of Health (NIH) is a great resource for information about substance use disorders. I encourage all of you to take a look at their web site: niaaa.nih.gov. Most of the information is free and downloadable. 

 

      This has been a rough winter. The workloads have all increased, there are pressures on you and all of our co-workers. Some are handling the pressure and stress well, some are not doing as well. Thank goodness you all are there – to help when the pressures and stresses become too much. Even a kind word can make a difference under those circumstances. Simply listening to someone has a big impact. 

 

       Thank you for being there – for helping others. It is important work.